Three Knocks
by Maeve Donovan
Summary: Please Read and Review.


Disclaimer: I don't own Castle. Darn it!

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Kate knocked three times. Alexis answered the door to Rick's loft.

"Hello, Detective Beckett." Kate was getting a cold feeling from the teenager, serves her right, she most likely hurt her dad.

"Hi, Alexis, can I talk to your dad."

"Not before you and I have a little talk." Oh, shit. Kate was in trouble.

"Okay, sure." Kate smiled, Alexis shook her head, Kate's smile wasn't gonna help her, "What do you wanna talk about?" Alexis steps into the hall and closes the door behind her.

"I would just like to know why you're here."

"I'm here to talk to your dad."

Alexis let out a small laugh, at least Kate wasn't in to much trouble, "Well, yeah, I know that. What I meant was what did you want to say to him." The first sentence was light and happy, the concluding one was serious, determind, and had a 'you better not lie to me' attitude to go with it.

"You know, don't you?" Kate was certain Alexis knew that Kate lied to Rick, either that or Alexis could read people really well.

"That you lied to him? Oh, yeah, he told me bout that. I want you to know I'm not mad about that, I just want to know why?"

That was a loaded question, and Kate had two options: Lie or tell the truth. Lying is what got her in this slighly uncoferable conversation with Alexis, if she would've just told the truth she could be sitting with Rick's arms around her. She could still have that, truth time.

"I was scared."

Alexis looked bewilderd, "Huh?" was all she could say.

"I. Was. Scared."

"You were? Of what? My dad loves you, he wouldn't break your heart."

"No, Alexis, I wasn't scared of _him_ breaking _my_ heart, I was scared of the oppisite."

"I'm confused."

"I was scared I would hurt him."

"Okay, and again. Why?"

"I wasn't ready to admit my feelings for him, and I was afraid if I told him, he'd get mad or something."

"He woundn't have gotten mad, but I understand why now," Alexis paused, choosing her words carefully, so she woudn't confuse the detective, "Will you do me a favor?"

"Yeah, of course, anything."

"Don't come to the loft, or call my dad for any reason, besides a dead body, untill you are ready to tell him your feelings, please?"

"May I ask why?" Alexis hesitated, "I will, I just would like to know why."

"He thinks you two are getting closer, and then something happens and it crushes him. I hate to see him like that," Kate nods, Alexis continues, "and when you do tell him, please tell him in person, and not over the phone."

"Okay," Alexis turns to head back into the loft, "Alexis?"

"Hmmmm?"

"Can I come back when I'm ready to tell him?"

"Of course."

"Okay, bye."

"Bye."

Alexis goes back into the loft, and Kate starts to head down the hall, then turns around. Kate walks towards the loft door, and knocks.

_"I'll get it!" _Alexis yells, "Hello?" She asks the detective, again.

"Can I speak to your dad?"

A big smile appears on Alexis' face. Kate nods, telling the teen that she's ready to love her dad the way he deserves to be loved.

"Dad!" Alexis yells.

_"Yeah?" _He yells from somewhere inside.

"Some ones at the door for you!" She yells.

_"Coming,"_ He yells and starts to walk to the door, "Who is it?" He asks before seeing Kate, "Beckett, hi."

"Hi." Kate answers, getting butterflies in her stomache and starting to become nervous, "Can we talk?"

"Um...yeah, sure."

Kate and Rick both look at Alexis, who is smiling like an idiot.

"What?" Alexis asks them.

"Maybe we should talk in the hall." Kate suggested.

"Okay."

"Why don't you guys just talk in your office, dad?" Alexis asks.

"That's a good idea to." He nods and grabs Kate's hand and leads her there.

After the door is firmly shut, he asks, "So, what did you want to talk about?"

"I remember the shooting." Kate looked down at her feet.

"I know."

Kate looks up, "You do?"

"Yeah, I heard you tell that guy, when we were investigeting the bombing."

"Oh, then-" Rick cut her off.

"Kate its okay if you don't feel the same way."

"What?"

Rick looked at her, seeing her expresion, "Why don't you explain to me?"

"Yeah, thats what I'll do...you thought I didn't feel the same way?"

"Yeah, you didn't tell me you remembered, you never seemed like you did."

Kate was shocked, she had worked at pushing him away. Even when she pushed him so far away she couldn't push him anymore, but still, she kept pushing.

"Rick, I didn't tell you because I was scared. Scared of losing you, scared of letting anyone that close. Scared of hurting you."

"Well, then, how exactly do you feel?"

"I should have told you along time ago."

By her tone of voice Rick was guessing she just wanted to be friends, unfortunatly that wasn't enough for him, and wouldn't be.

"Okay, you should have, but didn't. You can tell me now or never."

Never. Thats what Kate was afraid of. Never seeing him again, never telling him how she felt, never seeing if they could make it as a couple. No. That's not going to happen because, insted of never telling him, she's going to tell him now.

"I love you." Kate looked into his blue eyes and told him, she wasn't scared, not any more.

"You do?" Kate closed the space between him and herself. Then, when she was close enough, kissed him. Not there first kiss, but the one that will change there realationship.

When they finally parted, "Yes, of course I do." Rick gave her an odd look, "I'd be a fool not to." Kate smiled, and kissed him again. There was a laugh from the other side of the door.

"Shhh..." Rick whispered, and quietly walked to the door, opened it and there sat two red-heads: Martha and Alexis.

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A/N: What did you think? Good? Bad? Want another chapter? Please Review!


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